Means for recording the readings of meters



Ismaentors MAUR/CE K HOP/1N JOHN H. CADE M K HORAN ETAL 2,518,691

MEANS FOR RECORDING THE READINGS OF METERS Filed Feb. 20-. 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Gttorneg Aug. 15, 1950 Aug. 15; 1950 M. K. HORAN ETAL MEANS FOR RECORDING THE READINGS 0F METERS Filed Feb. 20, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 111/ Ill I/ll I I] I II II IIIIIIlI/I I I r III] II I III] Ill/1i! III II Jfmentors MAU/P/Cf KI /OIQ/I/V JOHN 14 C405 Cittomeg Patented Aug. 15,1950

MEANS FOR RECORDING THE KEADIN GS OF METERS Maurice K. Horan, North Hollywood, and John W. Cade, La Canada, Calit, assignors, by direct and mesne assignments, of twenty per cent to Louis W. Valbert, Barstow, thirty per cent to Welden F. Barnes, Glendale, thirty-five per cent to said Horan, ten per cent to said Cade, and five per cent to Lawrence C. Fay, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application February 20, 1948, Serial No. 9,928

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to means for recording the readings of meters such as watt-hour meters, gas meters, water meters, etc.

An object of the present invention is to provide means for obtaining a printed record of the reading of a meter to thereby obviate error, save time, and provide anincontestible record.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel combination that comprises a meter and a printing unit, said meter and printing unit being so interconnected that the latter is conditioned by the former to set up a number representing current, gas, or Water consumption, and said printing unit being adapted to be manually operated to print said number on a card or the like for obtaining a record thereof.

Our invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a Working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which Will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a face view of a wattmeter and a printing recorder and embodying means interconnecting the same according to the present invention, the covers for the meter and recorder being omitted for clarity, and the conventional elements not necessary to be described being also omitted.

ability of electric current in this connection, the

means operatively connecting said meter to a printing recorder is shown as electrically operated. However, it will be understood that the invention is equally adapted to obtain printed recordings of the readings of gas, water meters, and

the like, and while the operative connection between such meters and a printing recorder may be electrical, such connection may feasibly be 2 mechanical and yet fall within the concepts of the present invention.

In that embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, a conventional Watt-hour meter 5 is connected to a conventional printing recorder 6 by novel means 1 that sets up, in the recorder, a number corresponding to the reading of the meter, said recorder embodying means for printing said number on a card or the like.

The recorder 6 is a machine of the type used with time clocks and is designed to print time cards. In this instance, since the present device may be used in places exposed to the weather, the recorder is preferably inverted from its normal position so that the opening, receptive of the card to be printed, faces downwardly,

The watt-hour meter 5 is placed in an electric line represented by conductors 8 and 9 so as to set up on the cyclometer 10 the number of revolutions made by the disc 1 l and to thereby register the current consumption in the load line 12. The revolutions of disc 1 1, through suitable gearing (not shown) drive a shaft 13 (Fig. 2) and said shaft is geared to drive the counter 14 of the cyclometer. For the purposes of this invention, the counter 14 may be omitted, but may be used where a visual reading of the wattage used is desired.

According to the invention, a cam wheel 15 is mounted on shaft 13 and the same is formed with ten lobes 18. An arm ii is engaged with the cam to rise and fall, under control of the cam lobes, on a pivot 18 in a block it mounted on the cyclometer. A second arm 25, on said pivot, engages the spring arm 2! of a microswitch 22 to effect control of its contact member 23. The latter is electrically connected to a terminal 24 and is movable for alternate contact with terminals 25 and 26. Thus, the microswitch is of the single-pole-double-throw type. When the arm I! is low on a cam lobe, arm 28 is raised and contact member 23 is engaged with terminal 26. When a cam lobe raises arm ll, said member 23 is moved into contact with terminal 25. Thus, for each angular traverse of the cam for the angular increment of a lobe, contact member is moved first to engage terminal 26 and then terminal 25.

The conventional printing recorder that is shown comprises a base plate 30 which supports a sub-base plate 31 in spaced relation as best seen in Fig, 3. Between said plates is mounted a manually operable mechanism 32 that includes an actuator 33, a hammer or platen 34, a slide 35 connected to the actuator, and trip means 36 operated by the slide to first withdraw the striker be positioned in the path of movement of the platen 34 to receive the blow thereof and to be pressed against an inked ribbon-40 passing in front of printing rolls 4! mounted in a counterlike unit 42. The platen thus imprints on card 39 that number that is set upon printi g. $91.15 41.

In recorders used in connection, with time. clocks, the printing rolls have-numbers-correspending to hours and minutes In this instance, the unit 62 is replaced witlt one that records numerically to correspond with the numerical setup of cyclometer IE1.

A solenoid e3 intermittently .feeds rolls. Mt. Each time said solenoid is energized, its armature 44 is sucked in against the pull of spring 45, a pivoted frame t6, connected to the armature, is pulled, and a connection -11 between isaid frame and an arm 3 on the unit l2, actuates' said-arm to effec' t successive intermittent movement of; printingrolls' llL The above-described generallyconventional recorder is provided with the means l for setting upon the rolls it the number corresponding to the reading of the cyclometer Ill. Saidmeans i includes the cam 15, arms i'l'an'd' l8,- and switch 22, and further includes a second;- single-poledouble-throw microswitch ie -that has a ternil-rial i} connected by a conductor 5!; to solenoid flt'ijsaidsolenoid being connected to the line conductort; A contact-member 52-is connected to N terminal 5 and is movablebetweenterminals 53 and 55!. Terminal- 250i switch 2-2-'is"connected by alcond-uctortt to terminal 530i switch 49.

' Since the-cam it turns very slowly at times and may-even be stationary for long periods 0? time, I

the arm-i 'l'has-a long time engagement-with; each successive cam lobe 5-6. Consequently; it is desired; to efiect immediate open-ingot the circuit that is made when switch arm--23- is movedgbya cain'lobe to engage terminal 26-. Also, after said circuit' -is opened; it is-desired to reset switch arm 23-on contact 25 tabs ready to operate byactuation-oi the next successive cam lobe. According ly, the means l includes a trigger mechanism 56 that controls I switch and; a trigger/solenoid 5"! that controls the trigger mechanismto trip-the same.- Said trigger mechanism ismechanically operated to cook by an extension-EB-provided on frame 46.

Saidtrigger mechanism comprises a trigger 59 that ispivoted at 66 on a platefii mounted on the sub-base plateSlj Said trigger is provided-with a shoulder 62 thatis engaged by anend 63 of a scar 6d pivoted at 65 on plate 6L Said sear-is formed witha sloping camedge fifi that-is in the path of movement of I extension 58. A- 'stop fil is provided for the end 58 0f the sear-thatis on-the opposite side-of pivot 55- fromendGB. Switch 49 has an actuating spring arm 69- that is moved by the sear to effect movement of switch arm 52 between terminals Ed-and 54'. V

The trigger solenoid- Elincludes a coillli that is connected in series between switch terminals 26 and 5 2- by means of conductors-lland-l2, a frame 13 mounting said coil o n plate El; and an armature M pivotally carried by the-frame, A spring '15 moves armature 14 to bear againstone edge of trigger 56 on one side, and a resilient finger it, carried by the armature, bears against theoppo'site edge of said-triggerl l The operation is as follows: 'When arm His on a low part of a cam lobe l6, switch arm 23 is on terminal 25 and switch arm 5g is ,on ter- Cqn e rr, the e eui s iop n at terminals 25 and 54. As cam wheel l5 rotates under influence of the watt-hour meter, the cam lobe l6 engaged with arm ll will raise the latter until switch-arm" 23 is snapped to engage terminal 25. There will thus be established a ciruit from line conductor 9, through switch 22, conductor 55, switch 49, conductor 5|, solenoid 4:3;and lineconductor 8. Energization of solenoid tiresults, itsarmature 44 is sucked in, the frame dais-tilted, and connection ll actuates arm 48 to efiect an angular transition of printing rolls 4i. Simultaneously, extension 38 of frame 46 engages cam edge 66 of the sear 64 and rocks said sear to engage orqcock its end 33 on shoulder 62 of, trigger 59. This movement of the sear, causes the end 68 to press on spring arm 89 of switch 49 and the latter snaps switch arm 52 into contact with terminal 54. The mentionedcireuit through solenoid 4a is thus-openedalthcugharm" l'lis still riding the cam lobe;

This condition maintains-u-ntil the. cam lobe moves past-arm l-l. Said-arm will then drop uncler force-oispring-arm-2l andsw-itch arm 23 will return to terminal-25. A: circuitis now established fromline-conductor -e, switch-22, conductor lt, trigger solenoid coil l ll; conductor- '12, switch t9; conductor 5i, solenoid 4:3 and line'conductor 8 Since the resistance in solenoid et: is much greater than'that'in the smaller solenoid coil l-il, the fol-men willnotbe energized 1 suificientls to cause movement ofits armature? However; sole-s noid 5? will become energized, itsarmature M will be sucked in, and the same- Wilt-trip trigger EQ-andreleasev sear -64. Spring arm-89 will thus be released, and s witch arm- 5 2 will fall back to contact'termina-l 53; In this-manner, the switches are-restoredto. theirinitial condition so that =the next time a lobe raisesll, the foregoing cycle of operation isv instituted.

It will. be seen that for each -one-tenthof a rotation oi shaft I3; one number.- increment is added to-printer-rolls' at. The sameincrement, of course, is addedv to counter. M;

At 'anytime that it is desired, a card 39 may beinsert'edinto. threat 3%., the. actuaton 33 raised; and the platenfiswill print onsaid-cand theinumber set up on printing rolls. M: and-said; number will correspond with the number encounter M.

While wehave. illustrated and describedawhat welnow regard as the prefernediembodiment of ourinvention, the constluiction.is, oi course, sub;- ject to modifications without departing: from the spirit and scope cfouninvention. We, therefore, do not wish'to restrict ourselves tatheparticular form of construction illustratedand described, but desireto avail ourselves of all modifications that may fall within-the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1; Apparatus of; the character-described; com-- prising a consumption-registering device, said device including a shaft drive-n thereby a-multilobed cant on saidshaft, a'switchcontrolled by said cam, a printing recorderhavingprinting rolls and embodying mneans foradvancing ;sa id rolls, asecond-switchcarried; by the recorder,

ondswitch, and an electrical device in said circuit and arranged to control the trigger mechanism alternately with the printing rolls operating means.

2. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a consumption registering device, said device including a shaft driven thereby, a multilobed cam on. said shaft, a switch controlled by said cam, a printing recorder having printing rolls and embodying means for advancing said rolls, a second switch carried by the recorder, a normally open electric circuit connecting said switches and the rolls advancing means, a lobe of said cam being adapted to operate the first switch to close said circuit and operate the rolls advancing means, and means controlled by said rolls advancing means for operating the second switch to open said circuit subsequent to the operation of the rolls advancing means.

3. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a consumption registering device, said device including a shaft driven thereby, a multilobed cam on said shaft, a switch controlled by said cam, a printing recorder having printing rolls and embodying means for advancing said rolls, a second switch carried by the recorder, a normally open electri circuit connecting said switches and the rolls advancing means, a lobe of said cam being adapted to operate the first switch to close said circuit and operate the rolls advancing means, and means controlled by said rolls advancing means for operating the second switch to open said circuit subsequent to the operation of the rolls advancing means, said latter means including a trigger mechanism operatively associated with the second switch and arranged to be tripped by the rolls advancing means.

4. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a consumption registering device, said device including a shaft driven thereby, a multilobed cam on said shaft, a switch controlled by said cam, a printing recorder having printing rolls and embodying means for advancing said rolls, a second switch carried by the recorder, a normally open electric circuit connecting said switches and the rolls advancing means, a lobe of said cam being adapted to operate the first switch to close said circuit and operate the rolls advancing means, means controlled by said rolls advancing means for operating the second switch to open said circuit subsequent to the operation of the rolls advancing means, said latter means including a trigger mechanism operatively associated with the second switch and arranged to be tripped by the rolls advancing means, and an electric solenoid in said circuit arranged to cook said switch alternately with the printing rolls operating means.

5. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a consumption registering device, said device including a shaft driven thereby, a multilobed cam on said shaft, a printing recorder having printing rolls and embodying a solenoid for advancing said printing rolls intermittently, a switch carried by the meter and controlled between two positions by the lobes of said cam, a second switch carried by the recorder, a normally open electric circuit connecting the switches and the solenoid, and trigger mechanism controlling said second switch between two positions and operable to cook by the solenoid, any lobe of said cam being adapted to actuate the first switch to close said circuit and energize the solenoid to advance the printing rolls and simultaneously cock the trigger mechanism and operate the second switch to again open said circuit.

6. Apparatus of the character described, comprising a consumption registering device, said device including a shaft driven thereby, a multilobed cam on said shaft, a printing recorder having printing rolls and embodying a solenoid for advancing said printing rolls intermittently, a switch carried by the meter and controlled between two positions by the lobes of said cam, a second switch carried by the recorder, a normally open electric circuit connecting the switches and the solenoid, and trigger mechanism controlling said second switch between two positions and operable to cook by the solenoid, any lobe of said cam being adapted to actuate the first switch to close said circuit and energize the solenoid to advance the printing rolls and simultaneously cook the trigger mechanism and operate the second switch to again open said circuit, said lobe of the cam being adapted to release said first switch whereby the same moves to again close the circuit, and electrical means in said circuit controlling the trigger means to trip the same and energized upon the latter closing of the circuit to trip the trigger mechanism and release the second switch whereby the same moves to again open said circuit.

MAURICE K. HORAN. JOHN W. CADE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 946,961 Gallagher Jan. 18, 1910 1,191,177 Hardey July 18, 1916 1,742,072 Hall Dec. 31, 1929 

